Friday, October 26, 2012

Trip Archival: Visiting Cambodia at 2006

(This is a archival trip sharing based on 2006 reports and some information like road, lifestyle and journey distance may not be applicable BUT you may refer to the itinerary for reference)

9/Mar/2006 – Depart from KL at 11am and expecting to arrive Siem Reap at 2pm. Visiting Siem Reap city’s market for some early sourvenir purchasing. There are many children beggars on the street and we went to a street with bars and restaurant for our dinner.

10/Mar/2006 – Visiting Banteay Srei in the morning, and then proceed to Angkor Thom and Banyan temples in the afternoon and finally end our temple grand tour of Angkor Wat in the evening. Banteay Srei is a temple craft with beautiful crafting on the red sand temple. Angkor thom is the temple cover with tree trunks where ‘Tomb Raider’ movie was flimed. Banyan temple is the temple with Buddha faces and finally Angkor Wat is the grand majestic temple of World Heritage Site.

11/Mar/2006 – Visiting Tonle Sap lake near floating village for a boat ride for a full day adventure. The journey to Tonle Sap lake is through the bumpy red sand road about 2 hours. We took the long boat ride around the lake but personally I think the lake is not amazing but the interesting part is to witness the Cambodia local people lifestyle. There are even children beggars on the lake (sitting on a big cup aka boat and begging).

12/Mar/2006 – Depart from Siem Reap at 7am from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. Journey takes around 6 hours and reach Phnom Penh at late noon. Visit Russian market (Psar Ton Tom Poung) and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 Prison). Tuol Sieng is a school converted into a prison by Khmer regime. It is a great experience to feel the ugly and horrific recent past of Cambodia.

13/Mar/2006 – Visiting The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek where the Khmer Rouge killed many thousands of their victims during their four-year reign of terror. The journey to the killing field take around 1 hour with a tuk tuk through bumpy red sand road and also very dusty. It is a great ride at Cambodia.

14/Mar/2006 – Depart from Phnom Penh back to KL.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Trip Archival: Our 1 week adventure at Bali during 2007

22 June 2007 (Ubud)
• Arrive Denpasar Airport at19:40 then proceed to Ubud Narasoma Guesthouse, Ubud (Handcraft City). Before check-in, we had a romantic dinner at ubud Balinese style restaurant. WOW!! Imagine the whole street fill with Balinese style restaurant (those candle light dinner). Then back to guesthouse and take a rest for a while coz we only had 3 hours to rest. Really crazy!! Volcano Mountain the next…

23 June 2007 (Mount Batur, Kintamani)
• Pick-up at 2am and start our journey to Kintamani (1.5 hours drive). Reach Kintamani at 3:30am and had a nice banana pancake breakfast with hot coffee (temperature very cold). Start our Mt Batur Volcano climb at 4am and it take around 2 hours to reach the peak to watch sunrise. Even only 2 hours climb but the climbing feeling is quite different with soft sand and many little rocks along the way. Interesting climb and we had a great time watching sunrise at the peak.
• After the climb, we went to Besakih (Temple) near Mt. Agong (another volcano mountain in Bali). This temple really nice but bewares of the people over there (rude & cheating).
• Back to Narasoma Homestay (Monkey Forest Road) at noon. Then proceed with shopping and a little walk along Ubud town.
• We end our day with a great dinner having dirty duck. The duck really dirty coz they don’t take out some of the thing inside the duck and heard it is really famous ;) and we try.

24 June 2007 (Singaraja/Lovina)
• Check-out Narasoma Guesthouse at 8am. Start out journey to the north of Bali with hillside scenery. Reach our first destination Pura Ulun Danu Bratan (Temple on the lake) and the location is at 1100m. Wow!! Whether chilling and place really nice with a lake In between. Then visited Giigit (Waterfall) and it is just a normal waterfall and nothing amaze ;)
• We reach Singaraja city and we decided to stay at Lovina beach. Before check-in we have a nice swim at Banjar Hot Spring (nothing amazing too!!).
• Heard from the locals that there are a nice café around the corner called Superman Café (nice food). We had our dinner there and the food really nice (something special with the cook and the owner is friendly too). The café have autograph for guest and we written a little notes for them.

25 June 2007 (Kuta)
• Everyone wake up early in the morning to watch dolphin at Lovina but I decided to have a little dive at Lovina Reef with spice dive. Saw many lionfish at Bali.
• Check-out at Lovina and had our lunch at Superman Café again. Too good to be true.
• After our lunch, then start our 3 hours journey back to the south. Enjoy Galungan Festival along the way. Before reaching Kuta, visited Tanah Lot for sunset.
• Check-in at Kuta. Try guesthouse near Poppy lane. Amazing lane!!

26 June 2007 (Kuta)
• Enjoy some shopping at Kuta. There are many branded shops there like billabong, polo etc. Shopper may love it ;)
• My focus is the next destination and another great attraction, Uluwatu temple. We had a sunset view at Uluwatu. WOW!! I can’t explain in words ;)
• Then proceed to Jimbaran having seafood dinner. Jimbaran is a place with dinner at the beach. Bali have many romantic places.
• Back to Kuta poppy lane guesthouse and then party at night.

27 June 2007 (Tulamben)
• Pick-up at 8am and proceed to east coast Bali, Tulamben for 2 hours drive. Had 2 dives at Liberty Wreck at Tulamben. This is a great dive site at Bali. Enjoy our dives and then reach back guesthouse at around 4pm.
• Time to get some sourvenir and had a simple dinner before proceeding for party time at Kuta Paddys bar.

28 June 2007 (Kuala Lumpur)
• Pick-up at Kuta Guest House at 11am to the airport.